The Christmas Shoes: A Star Wars Story
by She-Jedi-Siona
Summary: It's Christmas on Coruscant, and Mace goes out to buy a present. But instead, he finds something far, far different.


The Christmas Shoes: A Christmas/Star Wars fic By: Siona Webster This is lightly based on the country song "The Christmas Shoes". Just wanted to do a fic on Christmas and a fic about Mace Windu. The two just clicked! =)  
  
*****  
  
Mace Windu walked out of the veranda of the Jedi Temple. Listening to the murmurs of excitement and expectation behind him, he sighed. It was a Coruscantian holiday; near the end of the standard year, they would give each other presents for no reason at all, and recently the Jedi had taken the tradition into their hearts. Mace had scowled upon it, thinking it a ridiculous holiday, but when he had heard that even Master Yoda had given it a nod of acceptance, he had decided to deal with it.  
  
Now the whole Temple was involved with it. Everyone was getting a present or special treat every day. Mace had yet to receive one, but it didn't really matter to him at all. After all, weren't Jedi forbidden possession or attachment of any kind? This holiday had just confused him beyond proportion, especially the fact that Master Yoda had allowed it to happen.  
  
He shook his head as he called down a taxi-speeder and climbed inside. Ki-Adi-Mundi had told him that he should go along with it and get a present for somebody. So Mace had decided to go get Ki-Adi-Mundi a new pair of boots. For some reason, he had the distant feeling that the Cerean had mentioned the presents for a direct hint... But not matter, he thought. I just have to get a present, and then it's done and over with.  
  
Spying a shoe shop, Mace asked the driver to stop there and paid him his credits. The small store was almost deserted; the only ones there was the evidently bored protocol droid at the checking counter and a small Human boy, wandering around to find the perfect pair of shoes. Walking inside, he pulled a small slip of paper out of his pocket, with Ki-Adi- Mundi's boot size inscribed on it. He looked around for the kind of boot that he had seen his fellow Jedi Master wearing before. He saw a pair of nine-wide size, leather boots and he picked them from the shelf and walked towards the counter. He discovered the boy was already there. He had picked a pair of small, blue shoes; probably for a woman. The protocol droid was helping him count out the small Republic coins one by one.  
  
Mace waited for what seemed like forever, even to him. At least this is helping me increase my patience, he mused. Then, to his utter joy, the boy put up his last coin onto the counter. "Thirty-nine Republic credits," the cashier announced. "I am so sorry, young sir, but that is not enough; you will need fifty Republic credits to purchase these shoes."  
  
The young boy's face fell and he twisted his hands together. "But-but- but-but-but I need these shoes, for my mother!" The boy turned around, noticing Mace for the first time. "I need them..."  
  
Mace's heart melted for the young boy, selflessly giving up all his money to get his mother something and demanding nothing in return. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the money meant for Ki-Adi-Mundi's boots and placed it on the counter. "Here. This should pay for the shoes, droid."  
  
The droid counted out the credits one by one. "Thirty credits, sir." Looking at the boy, the droid said, "Would you like them wrapped, young sir?"  
  
The boy shook his head energetically. "No sir! Thank you!" Picking up the shoes and turning to the Jedi, he said, "Thank you so much sir! My mother will love these shoes when she meets my daddy and the Force tonight!"  
  
Mace was taken aback, perplexed. "I'm sorry, what?"  
  
The boy happy smiled dimmed. "You see, my daddy died when I was little, and since then, my mother's been sick for a very long time, and the doctors said that she doesn't have much time left." He smiled brighter and hugged the blue, satin shoes to his chest like a precious treasure. "I wanted her to look pretty when she meets the Force tonight. Bye!" The boy ran out the door, and when Mace chased after him, the boy had disappeared.  
  
Mace stood outside the store, stunned. Then he smiled and called for a taxi-speeder, telling it to head for the Jedi Temple. As the taxi headed for the Temple, Mace settled back and grinned with understanding.  
  
Maybe this wasn't such a ridiculous holiday after all, he mused.  
  
*****  
  
PLEASE R&R!! =) 


End file.
